Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., endorsed Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers on Sunday, breaking with her party’s nominee after a dispute that has continued into the final days before Michigan’s Nov. 3 election.
Stevens announced the endorsement in a video posted on social media and appeared with Rogers at a Detroit church. She narrowly lost to Abdul El-Sayed in the Democratic primary in August. The Democratic Senate campaign arm had supported Stevens in that contest.
“Our Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, Abdul, said that I was no longer welcome in his campaign and that I should stay away, and he's right. And that's why I am endorsing Mike Rogers for the United States Senate today.” — Rep. Haley Stevens
The dispute intensified last week after Stevens called on El-Sayed to condemn an advertisement from an outside group that connected U.S. military aid to Israel with rising grocery prices. Stevens characterized the advertisement as antisemitic. El-Sayed said the advertisement was not made by him and that he disagreed with its contents.
The candidates’ responses
El-Sayed did not mention Stevens by name Sunday. He said Michigan voters should focus on the state’s issues rather than the dispute between the two candidates from the Democratic primary.
“This is a state of 10 million people who deserve a lot better from their government. I'm a lot more focused on the 9,999,998 that are not the ones who are talking about.” — Abdul El-Sayed
El-Sayed had previously accused Stevens of revisiting a primary that ended three months earlier. The Democratic nominee is competing against Rogers for the Senate seat in a state with about 10 million residents, according to his remarks.
Rogers praised Stevens on Friday for urging El-Sayed to denounce the advertisement and for raising concerns expressed by Michigan Jewish voters. He also referred to the primary result, in which Stevens did not become the Democratic nominee.
“Representative Haley Stevens is a courageous leader who deserves the respect of every Michigan voter. She has conducted herself with nothing but class since the Democratic primary, a primary where a majority of voters did not vote for her party's nominee.” — Mike Rogers
- Stevens lost the Democratic Senate primary to El-Sayed in August.
- Stevens endorsed Rogers at a Detroit church on Sunday.
- Michigan voters choose between Rogers and El-Sayed on Tuesday.
The endorsement places Stevens alongside Rogers in the final campaign stretch while El-Sayed continues as the Democratic candidate. Rogers and Stevens appeared together at the church Sunday, and Rogers later spoke with reporters after the appearance.
